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Objective: The goal of this study was to develop and validate a short form of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (the CTQ-SF) as a screening measure for maltreatment histories in both clinical and nonreferred groups. Method: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the 70 original CTQ items were used to create a 28-item version of the scale (25 clinical items and three validity items) and test the measurement invariance of the 25 clinical items across four samples: 378 adult substance abusing patients from New York City, 396 adolescent psychiatric inpatients, 625 substance abusing individuals from southwest Texas, and 579 individuals from a normative community sample (combined N = 1978). Results: Results showed that the CTQ-SF's items held essentially the same meaning across all four samples (i.e., measurement invariance). Moreover, the scale demonstrated good criterion-related validity in a subsample of adolescents on whom corroborative data were available. Conclusions: These findings support the viability of the CTQ-SF across diverse clinical and nonreferred populations. Keywords: Child abuse; Neglect; Measures; Validity

It has been possible to identify a link across latent variables reflecting Bottled-Up Emotions, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Hostility symptoms in substance abusers that did not depend on the substance abused. Psychosocial problems in substance abusers seem to result from the multiplicity of emotional deficits.

The correlations between childhood abuse and personality disorders in drug abusers and alcoholics seeking treatment are studied. Results show that about 80% of the 378 drug addicts and alcoholics surveyed had histories of child abuse or neglect. Physical abuse and neglect were related to a subcluster of psychopathic personality disorders such as antisocial and sadistic traits while emotional abuse was related to schizoid personality disorder traits. However, no correlation was found between sexual abuse and any personality disorder cluster.

Understanding how methadone patients view treatment for their cocaine dependence and the process of recovery from cocaine addiction, is important in helping to design treatment strategies that will effectively motivate and engage these patients. There has been little development or testing of treatment approaches for cocaine-dependent, methadone-maintained patients and research on the effectiveness of outpatient cocaine treatment has excluded the perspectives of patients. This article presents the patient's view, using ethnographic interviews with 17 patients enrolled in a relapse prevention treatment program for cocaine dependence, that was set up in an inner-city methadone maintenance clinic. Findings suggest that despite initial ambivalence or resistance, patients became highly engaged by the positively reinforcing treatment intervention. In addition, patients found the highly structured nature of the program and the cognitive behavioral techniques critical in reducing their cocaine use. Finally, patients responded positively to the psychodynamic issues addressed within a cognitive behavioral format, and reported improvements in certain areas of psychological functioning. Keywords - qualitative, cocaine dependence, methadone, cognitive-behavioral.

The morbidity risks for alcoholism in the first-degree relatives of a cohort of male cocaine addicts with or without alcoholism comorbidity were studied. Of the 71 patients who participated in our study, 40 (56.3%) had a history of alcoholism and 37 (59.1%) a history of opioid abuse. Twenty-two patients (30.1%) also met criteria for a lifetime diagnosis of a major psychiatric disorder. Significant increases in morbidity risks for alcoholism were found among male relatives of cocaine addicts with comorbid alcohol dependence when compared with relatives of cocaine addicts with no alcohol comorbidity. Among fathers, risks were .69 vs .32 (z = 2.98, p < .003). Among brothers, risks were .38 vs .15 (z = 2.35, p < .03). Significantly increased risks were also observed in male relatives when probands with a psychiatric diagnosis were excluded from the analyses. Among female relatives, increases in morbidity risks were found but they failed to reach statistical significance. Two interpretations are consistent with these findings. One of these interpretations is that alcoholism is a disorder distinct from other addictions and has its own mode of transmission. The second interpretation is that the transmission of substance use disorders lacks specificity and that the substances selected are influenced by sociocultural or biological factors., INTRODUCTION Alcohol dependence is a common disorder among patients in treatment for drug addiction and among their relatives[1-3]. The heritability of alcoholism is supported by studies of the biological children [...]

Levels of dysphoria and opioid dependence were assessed in 54 male patients with heroin addiction applying for drug treatment. During a period of naturalistic heroin use, symptom measures of dysphoria and of spontaneous opioid withdrawal reported by these patients were highly correlated. Upon admission to treatment, levels of dysphoria and opioid withdrawal were assessed before and after a pharmacological challenge with either 0.4 mg naloxone or placebo. Signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal and symptoms of dysphoria increased in patients following naloxone, but not placebo administration. Naloxone-induced changes in symptoms of dysphoria were correlated with changes in opioid withdrawal as assessed by both subjective and objective measures. These findings suggest that dysphoric mood states in heroin addicts may be, in part, pharmacological sequalae of their drug dependence. Dysphoria due to opioid withdrawal may contribute to the initiation and maintenance of heroin use, and to the high rates of syndromal affective disorders reported in this population., INTRODUCTION Dysphoric mood is a common symptom of patients who use heroin on a regular basis [1-5]. Whereas early use of heroin frequently is associated with euphoria, chronic use of [...]

A letter to the editor about the results of a six-week open trial of amantadine administration as treatment for cocaine dependence in methadone-maintained patients is presented.